Originally Posted by
davidad
Much of the practice in the trade is based on superstition and not engineering. Ask a machinist about how tapered bits are put in a drill press.
Red Herring
tapered drill bits are steel (you remove them with a steel wedge and a hammer)
nowadays bike cranks are aluminum , their softness allows the stretching from overzealous tightening
a greased/oiled taper facilitates..
And irreparable damage riding them once the fixing bolt, or often, the nut, falls off or is let be loose..